Mantle of the Gods

The heat was nearly unbearable.

“Hey, Atlas!” The leader of our group called out my name. “We’re finished!”

The heat got even worse as I came out of the bushes I had been hiding in. As a Porter, it was my job to collect the crystals dropped by the monsters that the party defeated. But since I didn’t have a mantle, the magical imbuement that allowed Adventurers to get stronger by killing monsters in the dungeon, I had to stay clear of the fighting.

I hurried over to where the bovine-like monsters had vanished and began picking up the crystals.

“You would think that it would be a bit more pleasant or even colder down here.” Paul chuckled as he watched me work. The other Adventurers were looking at a map of the dungeon, arguing about where to go next.

I nodded in agreement. “It does seem a lot warmer down here than normal.”

Paul nodded in agreement. “Give it a day or two. I’ve seen floors where it snowed, rained, was over a hundred degrees, and even a tornado all in the same week." He wiped his brow and looked over at the other Adventurers. “I think we're done for today.”

They stopped arguing as they looked at their leader. I expected them to argue, but they just started getting ready to travel.

With their mantle-imbued speed, the Adventurers could travel a lot faster than a Mundane like me, even if I was in great shape for an eighteen-year-old. With how often the Adventurers relied on Mundane Porters to collect their crystals, the Dispatchers had made a rule that Adventurers weren’t allowed out of the hub if they didn’t come back with their Porter. Sometimes accidents happened, it was a very dangerous job and there were monsters everywhere, but in those cases, the Adventurers were released once they were cleared of any wrongdoing or negligence.

“You good?” Paul asked as I secured the last crystal.

I nodded and watched the other Adventurers do the same.

“Let’s go.” The black-haired man took off.

I struggled to run as fast as I could compared to what seemed like barely jogging to them. I was completely out of breath by the time we made it to the gate that warped us back to the main floor of the Dispatcher's hub.

Paul took the pack from me once we got to the ring, then activated the console, warping us to the Dispatcher’s Hub.

Zeb was a smaller town so the hub wasn't very large and there weren't that many parties that were farming this dungeon. Paul was new to town and had only been here for a couple of weeks. As the leader of our party started towards the desk he stopped and looked at me.

“Don't you have someplace you need to be soon?”

I tried to hide the excitement I was feeling. This was the year that I turned 18 and once a year the All-Temple came to town and tested those who had just come of age to see if they were worthy of being bestowed a mantle. I was trying not to get my hopes up, but I had a good feeling that I would get a mantle. If I did get a mantle, then I’d be able to leave this Godless town and go to the Dispatchers School, where I get trained on how to be an Adventurer. If I didn’t get a mantle, then I’d be back here in the morning. Ready to collect monster crystals like I had been doing for the last 4 years.

I nodded. “The ceremony is this afternoon.”

“Well then.” Paul shooed me. “You better get going.”

I started to leave.

“Hey, Atlas!”

I turned around and barely had enough time to catch one of the crystals that I’d picked up. I stared at it for a moment. I had no idea how much it was worth and there was a part of me that was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sell it. Porters weren’t paid very well, but a Mundane also couldn’t go through a ring with a crystal. This was mainly to eliminate stealing, but it also meant that almost daily, a Porter would carry more resources than a whole year's salary.

I couldn’t believe the generosity. Before I could speak, Paul held up his hands.

“Consider it a parting gift from us.”

I nodded my thanks.

“Just remember, that if you ever meet us in the dungeon, the first round is on you!” One of them hollered.

I realized that as a Mundane, I might not be able to sell the crystal, but once I received a Mantle, I’d be able to cash it out for whatever it was worth. I stashed the crystal in the pocket of my pants. The pants were worn, but they were specially made to be able to enter the dungeon. If I tried to wear regular clothes like a Mundane, then I’d wind up naked once I entered the dungeon.

I tried to find words, but their leader cut me off.

“Now get out of here, Atlas.” Paul had a huge smile on his face. They were the best Adventurers that I’d ever worked with.

I walked out of the one-story building and took a deep breath. Their support was filling me with more confidence. I looked at the sun and realized that it was getting close to the time for the ceremony to start. I took off down the street. I didn’t want to be late on the most important day of my life.